East Meets West with Two of the Best Hospitality Schools in the World Signing a Student Exchange Programme

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The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland have recently entered into an agreement on launching a student exchange programme dedicated to the development of students, particularly in the areas of global outlook and cultural appreciation.

Professor Kaye Chon (left) and Mr Michel Rochat signed the Memorandum of Understanding on launching a student exchange programme.

(PRWEB)October 21, 2013

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland have recently entered into an agreement on launching a student exchange programme dedicated to the development of students, particularly in the areas of global outlook and cultural appreciation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of SHTM, and Professor Michel Rochat, General Director of EHL on 16 October at the SHTM premises in Hong Kong. The signing ceremony was witnessed by important officials from Switzerland, senior management executives of EHL and guests from the hotel industry. Among them were Mrs Rita Hämmerli-Weschke, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr André Witschi, President of EHL Board of Governors, Mr Calvin Mak, Founder and CEO, Rhombus International Hotels Group Incorporation, as well as EHL Alumni Mr Felix M. Bieger, Adviser, The Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd., and Mr Fritz Sommerau, General Manager, Gateway Hotel.

Both institutions saw this agreement as the first step towards further collaboration. Under the MoU, each institution agrees to exchange students for a period from one semester up to one academic year. It is expected that the SHTM will receive 15 students from EHL and send a similar number of students to study at EHL during the same period.

Professor Rochat said the MoU was an important step to promote stronger links between the two institutions and provide added value for the students. "We hope to assist our students in their careers, fostering their development and employability. Enthusiastic and talented, our students are the school’s greatest asset. Enabling them to acquire experience, and especially to gain exposure to the Eastern market, is key to their career development."

Only students with a solid academic performance and a good level of English will be selected to participate in the programme.

Professor Kaye Chon believed that the School's colleagues share the same commitment to nurturing the next generations. "Our students' outlook is very important," he said. “We help them to be reflective, appreciative of diverse cultures and to acquire a global outlook. We are committed to providing students with the best educational experience during their time in our School.”

SHTM's intellectual and stimulating environment encourages a robust research culture, allowing its students to make positive contributions to the growth and enhancement of hospitality and tourism education and research. With SHTM's advancement as a global leader in hospitality education, its graduates are sought after by academic and research institutes, both locally and overseas. Dr Yong Chen, a Ph.D. graduate of the SHTM, will join Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in January 2014 as Assistant Professor.

Professor Chon remarked, "We are proud to be associated with EHL, the origin of hospitality education on a global basis, and to be producing future leaders for global hospitality education."

In addition, Dr Stéphanie Pougnet, Assistant Professor at EHL, has already inaugurated the "visiting scholars" programme between the two institutions. In that context, from 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2014, she will teach two courses per semester at SHTM and will take part in SHTM research projects. Based on her experience and feedback, EHL would like to renew the experience in 2014 with one or two other professors.

About Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne
Rooted in the Swiss sense of hospitality Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) has, since 1893, been a pioneer in education that has inspired the world of hospitality and created a unique professional community of 25,000 global industry executives who share the same values based on EHL’s distinctive heritage.

As the world’s premier reference in hospitality management, EHL offers university-level studies to talented and ambitious students who are aiming for top careers in the international hospitality industry. Three programmes are offered:

Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management
Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management
Executive MBA in Hospitality Administration
Today, EHL provides an enriching environment with world-class Faculty and ultra-modern campus facilities to some 2,000 passionate students from close to 90 countries.

About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management
PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management is a world-leading provider of hospitality and tourism education. It was ranked No. 2 internationally among hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in November 2009.

With 65 academic staff drawing from 20 countries and regions, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from Higher Diploma to Ph.D. Currently a member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the School was bestowed the McCool Breakthrough Award in 2012 by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE) recognising its breakthrough in the form of its teaching and research hotel – Hotel ICON – the heart of the School’s innovative approach to hospitality and tourism education.